Ascending Sundance

A week or so ago Jason and I went hiking at Sundance Resort. We have biked and snowboarded Sundance many times but had never experience the extremeness of unextremely using our feet to travel its slopes…until now.

What a magnificent vista! The hills were a lush green and even Utah Lake, tinted by its algae bloom, added to the emerald hue.
The picnic tables at the top of Arrowhead Summit were a great place to eat a snack and enjoy the visual splendor of the surroundings.
That's Heber Valley sprawled out below Jason as he stands on Arrowhead Summit.

We accessed Sundance’s hiking areas by way of the lift and then spent the afternoon traversing some lovely terrain. Our first climb was to the top of Arrowhead Summit. This is the most challenging hike at Sundance. It ascends to the highest point at the resort, which is over 8,000 feet. The path to the summit, unfortunately, is along a gravel access road instead of a traditional hiking trail but the beauty of the peak definitely makes up for what the route lacks. The path terminates on Arrowhead’s ridge, which overlooks Utah Valley on one side and Heber Valley on the other. Gorgeous! These valleys were still very green (quite an anomaly for this time of year) making the view uncommonly pretty. What added most to the perfection of this hike however was the fact that we saw exactly no one the whole way. We got to savor the windswept glades and rugged pines without even a hint of humanity. There was certainly no shortage of people exiting the lift but they all headed straight for one of the downhill hikes. Ah the laziness of human beings, ever my vexation but still always my ally.

This vibrant meadow was too picturesque to pass through without taking a few photos.
We came across this giant mushroom on our way to Stewart Falls. I think it's probably the biggest toadstool I've ever seen.
Due to water flowing this year in areas it normally does not, the trail to Stewart Falls passed under an impromptu stream that tumbled from an unanticipated waterfall. We had to cross this steep creek using ropes.
Stewart Falls is actually a series of 4 dramatic drops but you can only see the two lower ones here.

After climbing Arrowhead Summit we traveled back down the mountain by way of Stewart Falls. It was a nice easy return trip and the falls are always beautiful. Although I couldn’t help but think from time to time as we trekked along that the trail in front of me would be amazing on a bike, I must admit that moving at a slower pace was a relaxing change.

1 comment

  1. An unimportant side note: as a blogger I make it a point to post my happenings in order. Last week, however, I must have gotten too excited over the prospect of writing about putrid flesh because somehow I skipped over this fun little outing that Jason and I took the day before the zombie walk. Although this post should have come first, I guess it’s better late than never.
    A side note to my side note: this comment is mostly just a reminder to myself so I can keep timelines from getting all jostled around in my noggin.

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